The Luxury Hotel Insider: Exclusive luxury hotel deals, features and special rates from the luxury hotel experts at Five Star Alliance.

Named one of Tripbase's Best Luxury Travel Blogs for 2011, below are Five Star Alliance's newest articles featuring exclusive information on luxury hotels worldwide including special offers and deals at the world's best hotels.

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel celebrates its 30th Anniversary in 2014. Traditionally, a 30th anniversary is celebrated with a gift of pearls, so in honor of its Pearl Anniversary, the resort has joined with luxury pearl jeweler Mikimoto to provide guests with ThePearls of Inspiration Experience.

A celebrated icon along the California coast, The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel is perched atop a 150 foot bluff, and set against cascading views of the Pacific Ocean. This surfside retreat has a unique beachfront setting and remarkable service heritage, and is located halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, along the coast of Dana Point. The resort boasts amazing dining options and all 396 guestrooms have been redesigned with decor that reflects the sparkle of the Pacific Ocean. Outdoor fireplaces have been added to the patios of first floor oceanfront guestrooms. Additional enhancements to the luxury property include major changes to the resort's gardens and grounds, and an Eco-Adventure Center.

The Pearls of Inspiration Experience is exclusive to The Ritz-Carlton Club Level and includes:

• The opportunity to discover a His and Hers Mikimoto cultured pearl jewelry gift on your pillow in your guestroom • Overnight accommodation on The Ritz-Carlton Club Level or Suite • Pearls of Inspiration White Chocolate amenity • Breakfast for two either through In Room Dining or in Raya • Round trip transportation to and from South Coast Plaza • Lunch for two at South Coast Plaza and visit to Mikimoto. The package is available January 1 through April 30, 2014 and starts at $750 per night.

Package is subject to availability and cannot be combined with any other offer. Additional rules, regulations, and restrictions may apply.

In conjunction with the Pearls of Inspiration Experience, the hotel has created three events that explore the genius of Kochi Mikimoto, and an exclusive look at the jewelry company and how it uses a blend of talent, discipline and artistry within their craft.

Events include:

• The Pearl King - January 23, 2014; 4-8pmThe skill of a scientist and the soul of an artist combined to create the genius of Kokichi Mikimoto, the inventor of cultured pearls. A visionary on a quest for beauty, it was his dream to "adorn the necks of all women around the world with pearls."

• The Romance of Pearls - March 6, 2014; 4-8pmThe pearl's iridescent luminosity has bewitched men and women alike for thousands of years. Whether offered in romance or taken in victory, worn as a symbol of chastity or a mystical aphrodisiac, pearls have been and continue to be among the most coveted gems in the world.

• Birth of a Pearl - May 8, 2014; 4-8pmIn 1893, after years of painstaking efforts, Kokichi Mikimoto succeeded in creating the world’s first cultured pearl. The method he developed is still used by Mikimoto today to form beautiful, lustrous pearls.

Location, location, location! For those travelers looking to explore what Melbourne has to offer, look no further than the Melbourne Marriott Hotel. This hotel property is known for its prime time location, as it is centrally located near many of Melbourne’s tourist activities. The Marriott Melbourne Hotel is steps away from Melbourne’s central business district, and the central shopping centers on Collins Street are filled with different shops to buy trinkets and souvenirs. Dine at popular restaurants in Melbourne's Chinatown after visiting the Melbourne Museum, and enjoy a show at the popular theatre district. The area is home to famous Melbourne landmarks such as The Regent Theatre, which hosts world renowned theatre productions the entire family can enjoy. The daily activities to do outside of the hotel can be overwhelming to most, but not to worry! The property has its own newspaper, keeping guests informed with events and activities close to the the hotel.

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that's why we're here. Be sure to explore our new blog series 'Your Questions Answered' to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

ANSWER: All of the rooms at The Dolder Grand have a maximum occupancy of 2 adults and 1 child. However, for families or groups with more than 3 occupants, connecting rooms can easily be arranged between varieties of room types. Examples would be as follows:

- Double Room Superior can connect to the Double Room Deluxe

- Junior Suite connecting to Double Room Deluxe

- Junior Room Supreme can connect to the Double Room Supreme

- The Suites Grand can be connected with double rooms superior

- The Suites Superior can be connected with double rooms superior

- The Suites Deluxe can be connected with up to three double rooms deluxe

All rooms at the Dolder Grand are equipped with luxurious white-marble bathrooms with separate bath and shower areas. The historic balconies give the rooms a turn-of-the-century zeitgeist. Double rooms and suites are furnished with king-size beds, single rooms with queen-size beds.

All rates are based on double occupancy and extra person charges may apply. Please be advised that the rates, availability, as well as any extra person charges are subject to change depending on the hotel's policies.

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: We’d like to stay at the Miramonte Resort and Spa, but we’re traveling with a large group of 4 adults and 2 seven year old kids. We’d like to get 2 interconnecting rooms. What room types should we book?

Answer: The Estate room with 2 queen beds or the Luxury room with 2 queen beds can accommodate a family of 2 adults and 2 kids age 7 at no extra charge. The difference between the Estate and Luxury room type is that the Luxury room type has access to a patio or balcony while the Estate room does not. The Estate king can interconnect to a Luxury Queen or to an Estate Queen. Although these interconnecting room types are currently available, interconnecting rooms would not be guaranteed and based on availability which fluctuates frequently. To view rates, availability, and to make your reservations, simply visit this website and enter your dates of travel.

Rates and availability are subject to change depending on the hotel’s policies.

We love having another reason to eat a cheeseburger aside from it being delicious, and today being National Cheeseburger Day marks the perfect occasion to order some juicy goodness with a side of fries. Be sure to check out these hotels that are serving up the best burgers in town!

Hotel Zaza in Dallas, Texas has a complimentary slider bar in the lobby from 5-7pm for guests, and La Posada de Santa Fe is serving a Kobe beef burger with green chili strips, cheddar cheese, and Apple wood smoked bacon.

How will you be celebrating National Cheeseburger Day? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: We’re planning a trip to Mumbai, India for December 26th – January 1st, 2013. What hotels have availability and how far are they from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport?

Answer: We have nine 5-star hotels and three 4-star hotels in Mumbai, of which 10 are currently showing availability for your dates of travel. To compare their rates and view hotel photos, simply visit this website, click on the ‘Find a Hotel’ tab, select ‘Asia’ as the region, ‘India’ as the country, and ‘Mumbai’ as the city. Below this put in your dates, and then click ‘Go’. This will pull up all of the hotels on our site and show you the starting, lowest rate at each hotel. To view room descriptions and room types, click the ‘Available’ box for the specific hotel. To view photos and hotel descriptions, click on the hotel name link. Once you choose a hotel and specific room type, select that option and fill in the booking form. Your reservation is automatically confirmed with the hotel, and you receive a confirmation email. To view the location of the hotel, simply click the hotel name and then the ‘Location & Map’ tab to view where the property is located. Please be advised that all rates are based on double occupancy and extra person charges for more than two people in a room may apply. Please also be advised that certain rooms have a maximum occupancy of two. Rates and availability are subject to change prior to making a reservation.

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: I was looking to stay at the Loews Coronado Bay Resort and Spa in San Diego with my family with check in 12/26/2012 and check out 12/30/2012 and would like to know if you have an offer for 2 rooms with bay view with breakfast included? Also, can the rooms be interconnecting? One room will have 1 king bed and the other room will have 2 double beds.

Answer: The Loews Coronado Bay Resort and Spa does not have breakfast inclusive rates for your dates of travel, but it does have interconnecting room options available. A Luxury King can interconnect with a Luxury 2 Double beds room. These room types are 450 square feet and have a partial bay view. A Deluxe King can interconnect with a Deluxe 2 double beds room, and this room type has a pool/marina view. To view rates, simply visit this website and enter your dates of travel. To make a reservation for two rooms, complete one after the other, filling in the Special Request field for each stating 'request this room to interconnect with other reservation.' Please be advised that interconnecting rooms cannot be guaranteed and are based on availability.

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: Which room option would you recommend for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids at the Hotel Crescent Court for September 1st – 2nd, 2012?

Answer: The Hotel Crescent Court has interconnecting room options available for September 1st - 2nd. You could reserve a Superior King and a Superior Double room and have them be interconnecting. These rooms start from $300 per night, per room. (Please be advised that rates and availability are subject to change prior to making a reservation.) To make a reservation for these 2 rooms, simply make one reservation after the other. Please be sure to fill in the Special Request field on both reservations stating 'traveling with 2 8 yr old kids, need rooms to interconnect' and the hotel will do its best to honor this request.

Please be advised that interconnecting rooms cannot be guaranteed and are based on availability.

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: We currently have a reservation for September 4th – 7th at the Four Seasons Florence, but need to check in a day earlier. How can I change the dates of my reservation?

Answer: We work within hotel systems where all modifications are accomplished through the process of re-bookingfor new dates and cancelling the existing reservation. We can either cancel your current reservation and make a new reservation, or simply make a new reservation for that new day (September 3rd – 4th) and request that you stay in the same room for the entirety of your stay. If the hotel is showing availability for September 3rd – 7th, and you are not within penalty period and can cancel your current reservation without any fees, then we can simply cancel your current reservation and make a new one. If the rate has gone up or if the hotel is no longer showing availability for September 3rd – 7th, but it does have availability for September 3rd – 4th, we can make a new reservation for the same room type of your current reservation and request that you stay in the same room for the entirety of your stay through the hotel. This request cannot be guaranteed but the hotel would do its best to honor this type of request. You can cancel and rebook your reservation online or over the phone, whatever is most convenient for you. Please be advised that the rates, availability, as well as the extra person charges are subject to change depending on the hotel’s policies.

We at Five Star Alliance work tirelessly to ensure we bring you the best luxury hotels selection and information regarding amenities, location, and highlights so you are confident that the hotel you choose will exceed your expectations and serve your needs. Sometimes, however, you are left with a few questions that go unanswered, and that’s why we’re here. Be sure to explore our new blog series ‘Your Questions Answered’ to find answers to real questions submitted to us by our clients regarding traveling with kids, pets, the best beach hotels, and much more.

Question: We would like to stay at the Hotel Nelligan in Montreal. There will be 2 adults and 2 kids ages 11 and 5. What room type would be able to accommodate the 4 of us?

Answer: The Petite Suite with 1 king bed would be able to have a rollaway bed added to the room for an additional 35 Canadian dollars per night, and this room type could accommodate your family of 4. If you would prefer, you could request to have 2 rollaway beds added at an additional cost of 70 Canadian dollars per night. To make a reservation for this room, simply visit this website, enter your dates of travel, select the room type, and fill in the booking form. Please be sure to fill in the Special Request field stating 'traveling with 2 kids ages 11 and 5, request 1 or 2 rollaway beds added.'

Please be advised that the rates, availability, as well as any extra person charges are subject to change depending on the hotel’s policies.